UNH Men's Hockey 2022 Off Season Thread- Goodbye Lake Whitt!

[Dan]

pretty close comparison in many ways, but I wonder if this is one of them...

“We have very high expectations for our men’s ice
hockey program and we are determined to have our team compete at the highest level of college hockey,”

[teez]

I can't decide if this makes me optimistic that a fire will be lit under UNH's bum (I guess you can't say the 'a' word here) or depressed that Souza still has the job with no end in sight.

[HockeyRef]

I can't decide if this makes me optimistic that a fire will be lit under UNH's bum (I guess you can't say the 'a' word here) or depressed that Souza still has the job with no end in sight.

All I'm going with is Marty's praise of Souza being the "right person for the job" so yeah...business as usual at least for the coming season as you'd expect.

And it will be prob more of the same given the youth of the team coming in but hey what do I know? Still think an extension is coming his way....

[HawksHockey]

I don't see either make that move.

The only far fetched scenario where D1 hockey comes into play is if the NE10 as a group decides they want to up their level of play. I don't see the 7 of them agreeing to that. Sadly.

Saint Anselm has a much higher chance of doing it than SNHU does (on-campus rink, women’s ice hockey team at the National Collegiate level, alumni base, growing athletics department).

However, if, for example, two of the NE10 members decide to pursue D1 opportunities (in a newly-created conference or as independents), the other five wouldn’t have much of a choice but to go along for the ride.

[NCAA watcher]

Another data point on coaching contracts

At RPI, Smith is in his fifth year at the school. He received a five-year contract when he got the job in 2017. RPI has not announced an extension during his tenure there.

Asked if Smith will be the head coach next season, RPI athletic director Lee McElroy texted, "Dave remains the Head Coach of our Hockey program! The University doesn't comment on personnel matters."

Smith replied, "Nothing yet," when asked if he's heard from RPI about his future there.

Smith is 51-88-12 over four seasons with the Engineers, increasing their win total each year. The Engineers didn't play in 2020-21 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

For context, I surmise that Souza received a contractual commitment to become head coach when he joined in 2015, so the question about his contract status is the length -- 3 plus 3? 3 plus 4? 3 plus 5? (think about that worst case scenario, an unproven kid four years into a mediocre career, getting a 8 year commitment!!!)

If 3 plus 4, it is up now. Even in the "worst case scenario of 3 plus 5", it expires after next year.

If it was 3 plus 3, and expired in 2021, there is no way a sane AD would have given more than a 2 year extension based on the meager results, so would still be up in 2023, or, if only a one year extension, would be up this summer. (I am assuming Marty was either semi-sane or at least neutered against a longer extension)

The TLDR version: the new AD will come in after this hiring season, so in any event will not make a decision on Souza until March 2023 when we are eliminated from the HE play-in game. At that point he will have a clean slate for a change.

DURHAM — University of New Hampshire men's hockey coach Dick Umile will retire at the end of the 2017-18 season, the school announced on Wednesday. Associate Head Coach Mike Souza will become the head coach at that time, UNH also announced.

“Coach Umile’s return to complete the third season of his contract and the transition of Mike Souza to head coach is what we set out to accomplish three years ago,” UNH athletic director Marty Scarano said in a statement. “Mike will definitively become the 14th head coach of UNH hockey at the completion of the 2017-18 season.”

“I’m excited to come back for the final season of my contract and still have a strong desire to win,” Umile said in a statement. “With a strong nucleus returning and exciting newcomers on the way, we are determined to get UNH hockey back to the level of annually competing in the NCAA tournament.”

“Coach Umile and I spoke about how this next season will be spent continuing the effort to re-build UNH hockey into a national caliber program that competes in the NCAA tournament and eventually the Frozen Four,” Scarano added. “That has been, and always will be, our aspiration. We are fortunate to have Mike Souza here already changing the culture in recruiting, and he will hit the ground running at the conclusion of next year."

[SNHUPenman]

Saint Anselm has a much higher chance of doing it than SNHU does (on-campus rink, women’s ice hockey team at the National Collegiate level, alumni base, growing athletics department).

However, if, for example, two of the NE10 members decide to pursue D1 opportunities (in a newly-created conference or as independents), the other five wouldn’t have much of a choice but to go along for the ride.

I do agree Saint Anselm would have the higher chance - but I'd also peg SNHU's chance at 1% (and that may be generous). You guys have a fabulous rink and I am sure if you were DI you could host bigger games downtown at our namesake with little trouble. If SNHU went that route we could play all our games downtown, so the cost to build a rink doesn't create a barrier. Our barrier is our President. Saint A's has an amazing guy running the ship over there so that is a huge plus. But the reason for your growing athletics is because it helps grow enrollment - which is critical in the present and near future. Golf and bowling bring in more $ for the school. Wasn't long ago with that clown you guys had before that there was talk of DIII. Which was outrageous, but I don't think because women's hockey is at the highest level you can expect all programs to move up...would be expensive. Hockey, sure - hopefully with the new DI structure we can see one off sports move up or down depending on the desire/competitiveness. DII hockey is a joke, none of us should be there...DI or DIII that should be how it is.

To the other point, I don't think if SNHU and Saint Anselm made the move up for hockey that all of our fellow conference mates would join. Saint Mike's feels like one bad semester away from shutting down. Heck, so does FPU. I could be wrong...but I think we if we did something like the women's programs we may be more likely to bring back AIC, Bentley etc..

[HockeyRef]

Another data point on coaching contracts


For context, I surmise that Souza received a contractual commitment to become head coach when he joined in 2015, so the question about his contract status is the length -- 3 plus 3? 3 plus 4? 3 plus 5?

If 3 plus 4, it is up now, if 3 plus 5, it expires after next year.

Well, most likely a similar situation for UNH. No one knows the ins and outs of most of this stuff (the public that is) any more than they know how a teacher needs to re-cert in this state every three years etc. Just found it interesting that in all of the UNH sports I follow on Twitter (and there are at least 5 of them) I have have never seen any other coach EXCEPT for Marc Hubbard getting an extension that was actually announced. Not sure if that came from the AD's office or not to be fair. Prob isn't 'public knowledge'? Guess we'll find out! Maybe.

[NCAA watcher]

So, to summarize my last post, we are at risk that Souza's contract will expire in April and he will be stolen away by either BU, Union or any other openings.

[SNHUPenman]

Well, most likely a similar situation for UNH. No one knows the ins and outs of most of this stuff (the public that is) any more than they know how a teacher needs to re-cert in this state every three years etc. Just found it interesting that in all of the UNH sports I follow on Twitter (and there are at least 5 of them) I have have never seen any other coach EXCEPT for Marc Hubbard getting an extension that was actually announced. Not sure if that came from the AD's office or not to be fair. Prob isn't 'public knowledge'? Guess we'll find out! Maybe.

I was debated doing an FOIA to see if I can find the details on length of contract for MS...but I need to find the time to do so.

[SNHUPenman]

So, to summarize my last post, we are at risk that Souza's contract will expire in April and he will be stolen away by either BU, Union or any other openings.

My goodness, what will we do

[HockeyRef]

I was debated doing an FOIA to see if I can find the details on length of contract for MS...but I need to find the time to do so.

Just for fun am poking that around (I have some time on my hands?!?) but so far have had no luck in finding the UNH contact info for doing that. I guess one could just solicit the AD?

As to your last post 'Watcher...I think I just saw a pig fly past my window hahaha

[Chuck Murray]

Well, most likely a similar situation for UNH. No one knows the ins and outs of most of this stuff (the public that is) any more than they know how a teacher needs to re-cert in this state every three years etc. Just found it interesting that in all of the UNH sports I follow on Twitter (and there are at least 5 of them) I have have never seen any other coach EXCEPT for Marc Hubbard getting an extension that was actually announced. Not sure if that came from the AD's office or not to be fair. Prob isn't 'public knowledge'? Guess we'll find out! Maybe.

Well, technically speaking 'Ref, it's literally impossible to extend a lifetime contract after all ... ;-)

[Chuck Murray]

I was debated doing an FOIA to see if I can find the details on length of contract for MS...but I need to find the time to do so.

New favorite poster. :-)

[Chuck Murray]

So, to summarize my last post, we are at risk that Souza's contract will expire in April and he will be stolen away by either BU, Union or any other openings.

That's cold, man. Stone effing cold. (thumbs up emoji)

When Blashill gets the gate in a few weeks at DRW, he'll go to the top of the list for HC of UNH. Has the D-1 background, will need a job, and great reputation as a teacher. Any shortcomings on the motivational side could be overcome by some of the stirring "me & Pavel" tales he'll be able to weave.

Only question then left, who's gonna do the shopping for his "groceries"? Danny DeKeyser???

[SNHUPenman]

Well, technically speaking 'Ref, it's literally impossible to extend a lifetime contract after all ... ;-)

Are we talking MS or did we go down the tortured basketball trail? I'm pretty sure BH has the goods on Marty...